Yard troublemaker - equine not human!

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L&M

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I have recently taken on a small livery yard. The clients horse in question was very settled and relaxed on arrival last summer, and was turned out 24/7 with 2 other companions.
Problems started in the Autumn when said horse did not want to be turned out for long periods, and would either bully its field mates or pace/call to be brought in. It was also becoming impossible to get the other liveries in and out of the field, as he would either barge them out the way, or on occasion rushing through the gate and taking himself in at 100mph - and being a 16.3hh warmblood was at times a bit scary!
Since the Winter has arrived the horse has become more difficult, so I have given him separate grazing so as not to upset the other horses. He will happily settle in his paddock for an hour or so, but will then become restless and career around trying to get attention from the others adjacent! Mainly they do ignore him but at other times he sets every horse on the property off which is not doing the grazing any favours.
I think part of the problem is that he is lonely on his own, but can't risk putting him out with the others. Also the owner has very limited time so he has no regular excercise or routine to occupy him so is 'trouble making' through boredom.
His paddock has become quite churned up so am putting haylage out for him every day in an attempt to keep him occupied. I also have another paddock, again adjacent to the others that I was resting for Spring so was wondering if it was worth putting him in there as there is more grass to keep him busy. However, if he continues his current beahvioural pattern I am also risking ruining another paddock.
Any advice?!
 
I wouldn't worry about trashing a paddock - they soon recover. He does sound as if he needs a job though - and it's so often the case that they get themselves and their mates in to trouble when not occupied.

Sounds as if he needs to be sold to do a job, and / or managed better (although not sure how) by his owner. However, I'd certainly be looking to give him a companion.
 
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Also the owner has very limited time so he has no regular excercise or routine to occupy him so is 'trouble making' through boredom.

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I think you already hit the nail on the head. I know a New Forest that is exactly the same and for exactly the same reason. He's a super chap but is very intelligent and gets bored, and when he gets bored, he gets destructive. He would much rather be in his stable 20 hrs a day.

There are always extenuating circumstances, but I do wonder why people without the time to own a horse, own a horse, rather than just attending a riding school.
 

I have similar problem, my lad is stomping at the door to go out in the morning.. then gets out and realises it cold and wet and theres no grass.. so paces up and down.. usually at a speedy trot, digging a trench in the mud, until he comes in.

I've found turning him out for just a couple of hours is working better although not perfect. Also he gets really agitated if he can see others being brought in or out.

He has a little companion, who doesn't help either! The little one gets excited and joins in the pacing. LOL.

And hes getting worked everyday, doesn't seem to make a lot of difference though. Could you suggest to the owner they get a sharer to ride him?

Come summer I then get the opposite problem... they don't want to come in!

The best thing i found was when my boy lived out all the time, in a field with 5 or 6 others, then if one came or went he dodn't seem to notice. Thats not an option anymore sadly.

Good luck, would be interested to know if you make any progress. :-)
 
Sallysmith - I appreciate your comments about allowing the paddocks to be trashed, but why should the other liveries horses suffer from lack of decent grazing because of trying to keep this one happy?
My only hope is that when spring arrives and the grass comes through, he will settle back down and I can integrate him in with the others.
I have spoken to the owner 'casually' re selling him on or getting a sharer, but as he is quite awkward to ride as well she is very cautious over who he would go to.

NeilM - totally agree with your last comment...!
 
Was this horse at the yard before you come? Might be worth finding out historically how he's been managed. I would also be totally honest with the client on the situation - then at least she may be able to offer suggestions on how he can be best managed, or at worst it prepares her if in the future you decided it wasn't working out - then she can't say it was unexpected.
 
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Sallysmith - I appreciate your comments about allowing the paddocks to be trashed, but why should the other liveries horses suffer from lack of decent grazing because of trying to keep this one happy?

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I'm always amazed at how well, well managed paddocks and pasture recover from a winter of rain, snow and horses - and it's pretty invitable that fields become pretty awful during the latter half of the winter. In my experience even the best land suffers - and unless you have the luxury of moving horses on to fresh grazing every few weeks, it's to be expected.

However, my comments were not made to the detriment of your liveries - I just meant that trashed grazing at this time of year is a non issue (imo anyway).
 
What's he like when he's kept in? My chap loves going out, but an hour or so is enough for him and then he's asking to come in. He will then happily stand in for the rest of the day. I do ride 6 times a week though, so he is getting the work.
 
Thanks Sallysmith - I knew where you were coming from and agree! What I don't want is the other liveries complaing that they can't have their lovely rested paddock that I have promised them for Spring......

Lizziebell - unfortunately there were the same issues at the previous yard, but I only found out after he had arrived and contracts were signed!

Flicker - He is very calm in his stable and seems to like being in more that out, but unlike yours he doesn't get the energy release through consistent excercise.
 
Being very close to a similar situation, this sort of thing really pains me. There are competent riders out there who would give anything to have a regular ride, even if the horse does have some issues, but the owners won't find a sharer and won't sell either because of the 'issues' (or more likely their own pride). The owners need a bl**dy good shake and to realise that the 'issues' are not going away by themselves, so maybe it's time they swallowed their pride and tried to find another solution.


Three, four, five, and climbs down off of high horse
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Thanks Sallysmith - I knew where you were coming from and agree! What I don't want is the other liveries complaing that they can't have their lovely rested paddock that I have promised them for Spring.

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Sometimes the light is on - but often there's no one at home.......
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If he is OK in on his own then I would suggest to the owner that he needs a management change and bring him in after an hour or so.

Only issue may be is that he will get more and more hyper if he's not being worked... Catch 22 really!

As NeilM said the owner needs a sharer by the sound of things (and a shake)!
 
So, as a YO how far should one intefere? The horse is not a 'welfare' issue as is mucked out daily, fed/hayed /watered etc and last summer he was ridden 3 x plus a week. It is just an intelligent creature that is bored.....

The frustrating thing for me is that I get paid to turn it in and out whilst she is at work and at the moment don't feel I can leave it unattended as is so unpredictable. For example the other day it ran through some electric tape that I had put up to section off a rabbit warren - fortunately I was in the yard and managed to extricate it before any harm was done. Only the day previous it had managed to cut itself while trying to paw the fencing to get its next door neighbours attention.
When I tell the owner of his little adventures she justs laughs and sighs as if 'typical'!
To give her her due, the owner is very pleasant, pays her bills on time and is very attached to the horse, and if I chucked the owner off my yard she would only take him elsewhere and the horse would still be in the same boat......
 
I would ask owner if she could find some one to either work him in mange or hack out 2 or 3 times a week she cann't manage just to keep him mentaly stress free, but I have known horses who have been kept indoors for most of their young life cann't take being kept out for than 1-2 hours per day
 
How about you tell her he has to go out twice a day - once for an hour in the morning and once later on. And you of course get paid for that. You are looking after the welfare of that horse, and if that means it gets turned out for an hour at a time, then than is better for him and as a responsible owner his welfare must come before anything. i had a very difficult horse here as a livery, it would try and kill - and I mean kill all horses except two of mine. I tried and tried to ensure he had as much time out as I could. but the welfare of teh many had to take priority over the one. So we worked out how we could get him out during the day and the owners worked with me and accepted the fact that we would do our best and they had to accept that. He was happy being in so we were lucky there.
 
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